South Africa Fashion Industry Revival

The South African Fashion industry has been under some pressure for many years now. Forty years ago it was a huge driver of the economy. Today it is a mere remnant of its former self and it almost looks as if it might disappear altogether. I spoke to somebody a couple of years back who went so far as to say that "The industry is DEAD."

I have never been able to accept his autopsy. So long as there is a handful of people fighting for it, the industry cannot be dead. It certainly is in big trouble. It is not dead.

Last night I attended and amazing seminar where key players in the industry are rallying together to find solutions. AFI (African Fashion International) has partnered up with Endeavor and GIBS to turn the tide and GIBS has announced the rollout of their Fashion Entrepreneurs programme. Even Government has joined the conversation and it looks as if the industry is poised to rebuild.

As a generation of determined young designers emerges to revive the ailing industry, they are going to need a generation of determined artisans and manufacturers to service them and I am very excited to be right in the middle of this work.

For years now I have prayed that the industry would rally together to find solutions and that day finally seems to have arrived.

Keep your eye on the local Fashion industry and expect some big things.

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

0835689150

http://www.dyeandprints.co.za/

High Fashion In Milan

My signature South African flag dyed by hand on chiffon silk recently walked down the catwalk in Milan. Follow the link to see it!

http://http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Melanie-Brummer-Fan-Club/266623571663

I have been producing hand dyed fabrics for the fashion industry since 2002 and they have appeared in collections around the world from New York to Milan.

Because I work so far behind the scenes in manufacturing, very few people know about it since the fashion designer is normally credited for the work. What most people do not realise is that a fashion designer will use many service providers along the way to producing a garment. A single garment may involve a pattern-maker, textile designer, dyer, printer, CMT (cut make and trim), beader and finisher before it makes it onto the runway. Very often the fashion designer is only responsible for the conceptual design and co-ordination of service providers.

Next time you see a garment strutting down the catwalk, remember that it is the work of many hands and try to guess how many people might have been involved in bringing the creation to you.

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

http://www.dyeandprints.co.za/

mot selefi by Marle Drotsky

I always get VERY excited when I see what my students get up to.

Last year, Marle Drotsky attended my lino block making class to learn how to do her own print detail on her garments. She is an up-and-coming young fashion designer in Gauteng.

I popped in at SA Fashion Week Pop-Up Shops this weekend and was delighted to see how she has used the knowledge.

I just love her "Bokkie" design, and the way that she has detailed it with a screenprint and felted heart. She has used this on her childrens' wear to embellish tops and hats.

She also printed bows and roses using the technique.

SA Fashion Week is going from strength to strength and this year's Pop-Up Shop concept was a hit that I am sure will be repeated in years to come.

Well done Lucilla Booyse. You are an invaluable resource to the South African Fashion industry. Your event creates an amazing platform for young designers to get exposure to their target markets. I look forward to seeing what new innovation next year will bring?

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

+27835689150

The Chinese Juggernaut Has Won!

Recently I had a conversation with somebody in the South African clothing industry who has decided that the local textile industry is dead. Dead...

I simply cannot accept that post mortem. Another well-known figure in our local fashion industry who cannot accept the statement is Collen Jack.

Colleen has many years of experience making patterns for the local fashion industry and has worked very closely with some of the most prolific designers on the local scene, including Clive Rundle (seen here in the picture).

I had a long and passionate discussion with Colleen on the topic this week and we are both trying feverishly to come up with an action plan to turn around this fatalistic way of thinking and to help to arm young designers in this country with the resilience and tools that they need to fight this global trend.

Certainly, the Chinese Juggernaut owns the lion's share of the textile markets globally. I was at the China City Market on the weekend and I can see why. There is an endless selection of clothing available at prices that we cannot hope to compete with locally. Finished garments are available for less than our labour cost on a similar garment manufactured here. Combined with the fact that most of our local textile mills have shut down under the mounting pressure, it is no small task that we are faced with to turn the tide.

Why do we believe that it can be done, when so many are ready to give in to the belief that it is all over with? Perhaps it is our independent spirit? Perhaps it is our belief in the underdog?

Look more closely at how the Chinese have come to own the market. They employ child labour in their factories. They work inhumanely long shifts without rest. They pay less than three dollars a day to their labourers. They do everything in their power to dodge import duties and taxes on goods.

In a world that is becoming more socially aware, how can dominance based on such dodgy practices continue indefinitely?

I make a conscious effort to buy local where I can, even when it costs me more, because I understand the underlying influences at play. If more and more people could do the same, we could certainly begin to turn the tide.

Colleen is working hard to do the same and she teaches young designers how to cost their production properly and squeeze the most value from their supply chain through frugal management so that they have a better chance at survival under mounting pressures. If you would like to learn more about her courses, you can contact her at colleenjackpatterns@gmail.com.

Become a part of the underground movement to fight the Chinese Juggernaut and buy locally manufactured products...

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

+27835689150

Keeping It Contemporary

Different people have different perceptions about tie dye. For many, it evokes pictures of long-haired hippies and their alternative lifestyle.

Did you know that tie dye has been use in fashion throughout the ages?

It is a national artform in Japan. Do a Google search for the term "shibori" and see how many pages come up with information about hand dyed fabrics. The Japanese people have used hand dyed techniques to embellish their kimonos for centuries and you can find their hand dyed textiles in their national museums and galleries.

In India the knowledge is passed down from father to son and mother to daughter and India is steeped in a culture of hand embellished textiles. Indian women will sit for hours and stitch individual grains of rice into their saris, which they then hand over to the dye technicians to colour with dye. Afterwards, they sit and carefully unpick every stitch to reveal the delicate pattern underneath.

Countries like Kenya and Ghana produce signature textiles that reflect their vibrant culture and tell the stories of their people.

Local designers like Stoned Cherrie and Sun Goddess have made extensive use of hand dyed finishes to differentiate their clothes with an authentic African feel and charm. Tie dye allows a designer to create garments in season colours, on-demand.

In Europe, top designers like Prada and Versace are doing the same. Go to http://www.ohlalamag.com/en/2010/01/versace-spring-summer-2010-round-3.html to see how Versace has used tie dye to create the most stunning silk shirts for men in 2010.

How you view tie dye is a matter of your individual perspective and framework. What is clear is that it is versatile and timeless. It has been used for as long as people have been making cloth and it will continue to add value to the clothing industry for as long as people crave to express their individuality through their clothes.

Sun Goddess 2005

Hippy tie-dye or couture chic? The debate continues... I was determined to prove the latter true and set out to supply many top local designers to prove my point.

In 2005 Sun Goddess commissioned this T-shirt for their SA Fashion Week Collection. They were looking for an interpretation of the sun in their season colours. I tied very tight elastic bands in rings and then added the yellow, red and brown using a syringe to make sure it went only where I wanted it. The sun motif is only on the front of the T-shirt and the back is plain brown.

The headscarf is a chiffon silk. I have always found the shapes of Ndebele patterns inspirational, and I had a vision to create a diamond pattern in colours that came from our national flag. I called the piece Rainbow Nation. This was the first time I made this pattern and Vanya Mangaliso was excited to snap it up for her collection.

I just made it again for Contemporary Dyecraft (Metz Press) and you can now learn how to make it for yourself, using the step-by-step photos in the book. Rainbow Nation will always be one of my personal favourite patterns. I had a lot of fun inventing and refining it, and I am always delighted with the outcome.

I have dyed chiffon silk, raw silk, habotai, T-shirting, linen, muslin and twill for Sun Goddess over the years. Tie dye is an opportunity to create something distinctly unique. It is an opportunity to choose pattern and colourway. It is an opportunity for designers to create limited edition custom cloth, on-demand.

When I first began to understand the implications for manufacturers, it blew my mind. Many years later, the possibilities remain endless.

What do you think? Hippy tie-dye or couture chic?

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

Picture by Ivan Naude http://www.planetivan.com for SA Fashion Week

Wild Fig

Do you like the dress in this picture? The white shell was manufactured for me by Wild Fig clothing. Lara Hunt and Yoriko Alty joined forces in 2007 to create this feminine label that is fast becoming a staple of the local fashion scene.

They use quality fabrics and focus on interesting, yet simple design details and finishes. They have access to full pattern making facilities, sampling, grading and production, which makes it possible for them to reliably create fresh looks on a regular basis. Wild Fig clothing is always fresh and stylish. Although I added the distinctive rainbow colouring to this dress, part of its beauty lies in the simple lines of the cut and elegant drape of the lush fabric that Yoriko selected.

This dress is a real head-turner. Every time I go out in public in it, somebody stops me to compliment me on it.

You can buy Wild Fig clothing at The Space (The Zone, Rosebank, Johannesburg), Salvation (Menlyn Shopping Centre, Pretoria), Dice (East London), Harbour Bay (Plettenberg Bay), Wild Orchid (Paarl), The Velvet Purse (Johannesburg), Que (Bloemfontein), Juno (Willowbridge) and Occasions (Somerset Mall). Look out for this label if you like to feel feminine.

Look out for their collection at Audi Fashion Week between 20-23 January 2010.

If you would like to learn the secret of how I dyed in the rainbow, look out for this dress in my book, Contemporary Dyecraft (Metz Press). It will be available from 25 January 2010.

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie